


Heat wave

by lulu4ever



Series: Misfits of the world, unite [2]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Drinking, Established Relationship, Friendship, Hanging Out, House Party, Ice Cream, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, heat wave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25322992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lulu4ever/pseuds/lulu4ever
Summary: It's Friday night and the city is boiling. Ronan is not handling the heat wave very well. Poorly, some would say.The only upside: Adam is squatting in his cool loft apartment.The downside: Adam has invited Henry Cheng to hang.
Relationships: Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Series: Misfits of the world, unite [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799332
Comments: 22
Kudos: 127





	Heat wave

**Author's Note:**

> I was working on a longer, more serious piece in this verse, but then I tested positive for missing the homies.
> 
> So here is friendly bickering and drinking on a friday night. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Ronan Lynch wasn’t built for warm weather. He was Irish, goddamnit. Made for rain and wind and green fields, not harsh sunlight and heatwaves in a big city.

He was dying.

It was the first week of June, for fuck’s sake. Sure, June was a bitch of a month. The worst there was, really, but this was plain unnatural. In his weak state he even considered if he should be more active in all those environmental movements Sargent harped on about. But damn it to hell, he was too warm to do anything at all right now, let alone something productive.

He knew he was lucky; his loft was probably the coolest place in the city, apart from actual meat lockers and stuff. He had high ceilings, massive blackout curtains and cool brick walls that, combined with the expensive ass AC unite and high tech looking fans he had bought in desperation, made his place a water hole in the unforgiving desert they apparently lived in.

After the first hot night, and the forecast warning of at least a week of heat, Adam had packed a huge duffle bag with his essentials (even though Ronan’s flat already was filled with Adam-stuff and Adam's stuff), forced Ronan to pick up a shitload of his potted plants with his car, leaving only the ones that had self-watering systems or were made for harsh sunlight, and made himself at home in the loft. Rightfully so, Ronan thought.

Even though they had their own apartments, they spent most nights together, and almost always the weekends. Sometimes though, they needed space from each other. Mostly when Adam had a lot to do at work and needed peace and quiet when he got home, or if Ronan was occupied with one of his projects and pulled all-nighters when hit with sudden inspiration. Not that he minded Adam when he painted, but hi tended to make too much noise for Adam's delicate nine-to-five senses. Normally, though, they split their time between their places. Adam’s was calm and cosy, Ronan’s had more fun stuff and space. Also, a huge bathtub, which Adam adored. They were both comfortable in each other's homes, a fact that made Ronan want to sing or fight or scream.

But it had been almost week of this god forsaken heat and Ronan was dying, the joy of having Adam spending all his time at his almost lost in the sticky heat.

The worst of it, even worse than him panicky waking up in the middle of the night from a horrible nightmares only to find himself sweating like crazy in the fiery doom that was reality, was that it was almost impossible to have sex.

Ronan had had the pleasure of being Adam's boyfriend for almost three months, so they were still in the early stages of their relationship, but he doubted he'd ever get used to the sheer physical attraction he felt for his boyfriend. Also, he loved him more than the fucking universe and wanted to have his babies, but that was beside the point.

And the point was that he was horny.

But it was too god damned hot to do anything fun.

The day after Adam’s temporary move in his cock had won the fight against his better judgment and he was all over his boyfriend as soon as he got home from work. Adam had pushed him away, moaning dissatisfied at his warm body, but kissed him all the same. "Fine," Adam had said as he removed his short-sleeved collarless shirt and fancy looking trousers, "but I’m not doing shit. I'll be on all fours in front of the fan" he flashed his crooked, most assholey smile at Ronan at that, and Ronan felt like he might die then and there.

He still marvelled that was allowed all this. That he got to try making Adam feel as good as he felt when Adam expertly unravelled him. His boyfriend had just rolled his eyes at him when he had confessed as much after the first few times he had bottomed. "Just because I haven't done it with anyone else doesn't mean that it's some holy act. I like it, Ronan. I want it. I just haven't been comfortable enough with anyone else.” Ronan was secretly glad he could be a first for Adam in any way, but he wasn’t stupid enough to tell that to him. Adam would roll his eyes and say something about antiquated views, or even worse – that Ronan was a romantic.

Adam had been as turned on as he was, but he was also a veteran when it came to heat. He was Virginia, born and raised. His skin loved the sun, and his heat resistance was far superior to Ronan’s. Also, he knew not to engage in strenuous activities in a fucking heat wave. Ronan did not and had done just that.

Ten minutes into the act Ronan realized his mistake as his calf muscle had started cramping. Then his thigh. He had slipped out of Adam, who had protested in a needy but weak sort of way, and tried to stretch it out without any luck. He had ended up blowing Adam quick and dirty and Adam finishing him off with his hands. And then his other calf had started cramping. Not his best work.

He had given up on sex after that, it simply was too hot. Adam was too hot. Like, in all ways possible. One night, they had woken up spooning and both made disgusted noises as they untangled sweaty, sticky limbs. “Never touch me again” Ronan had moaned, and Adam had agreed that touching was appalling, and they should probably stop doing so in this temperature. Unfortunately, Ronan’s stupid dick was relentless. He was bored, hot, horny and fucking frustrated. June was really a bitch of a month.

He was just finishing a horrible and worthless sketch, his inspiration and artistic talent was apparently weather bound as well, as Adam returned home from work, arms loaded with grocery bags.

“Help!” Adam moaned.

He sprang up, gladly discarding pen and paper, relieving Adam from all his bags and carried them to the kitchen part of the loft. God damned but he was a gentleman. Adam followed him, unbuttoning his shirt as he spoke.

“Thank god it’s Friday. It’s hell out there. These city folks don’t know how to act in a heat wave, they all become crazed animals.” Adam said. 

Ronan was unpacking the bags. “Frozen mimosa mix?” he asked, holding up a gallon sized bottle.

“So clueless” Adam said, nodding to himself. “Getting tipsy on ice cold drinks and taking noon time naps. That’s the key to surviving sweltering summer days.”

“It’s called siesta, fucker.” Like Ronan didn’t know how to get drunk.

“I know, but since you didn’t take Spanish I didn’t want to make you feel inferior.” He really was a bastard. Adam flicked his nose and started unbuttoning his pants. “I’m taking a cold shower. Join me?”

Ronan felt struck by lightning. “You’ll fuck me?”

Adam just raised an eyebrow. “Thought you said no sex?”

“It didn’t even cross my mind to fuck in cold water,” God he was stupid. He started cramming in the groceries haphazardly into the fridge and freezer in desperation. Cold shower sex sounded like heaven on earth.

Adam chuckled. “Sorry, can’t. Should have told me sooner, I thought the failed attempt had put you off. Henry’s coming over in,” he checked his watch before unfastening it, “less than ten minutes.”.

“Plenty of time, I’m fucking dying.”

“Hard pass, lover, I don’t think I can get it up while listening for my best friend ringing the doorbell.”

Ronan was looking him up and down, Adam was only wearing tight boxer briefs and ankle socks and looked painfully sexy. “Bet I could get you there.”

“Correction,” Adam said as he turned around and walked towards the bathroom, “I don’t want to.”

Ronan moaned in frustration, kicking close the freezer door. He followed Adam to the shower, petulantly shoving off his basketball shorts and boxers. “Fine, I’ll ‘just’ shower with you. But only because I’m feeling nostalgic.”

“You’re so romantic, sweetheart” Adam said sarcastically, but the joke was on him. Ronan loved it when he called him sweetheart.

*

When Cheng arrived ten minutes later they were considerably cooled off, but Ronan still felt frustrated and wasn’t helped by his boyfriend’s annoying best friend’s arrival. He had known Henry Cheng since high school but had managed to avoid him as much as possible throughout the years. How he had persuaded Adam of all people to even give him the time of day was beyond Ronan.

“Oh my god,” Cheng exclaimed as Adam let him in, Ronan slouching in his massive sofa trying to ignore his arrival, “I’m in heaven. Why haven’t I been invited sooner?”

“Because you literally told me this morning that your AC was malfunctioning” Adam answered dryly, in a tone that said ‘because you are a complete and utter idiot, never speak to me again’ that Cheng, for some reason, was immune to. Ronan hated that about him.

“Technicalities” Henry answered, taking in the loft. “This place is surprisingly nice, Lynch.”

“Whatever, why the fuck are you here anyway?” Ronan had not wasted naked time in shower talking about Henry Cheng, sex or no sex.

“I was invited,” Henry said, placing a peck on Adam’s cheek just to spite Ronan, “because I was in need of cool air, and my best friend loves me dearly.” Adam just rolled his eyes at Henry’s overly affectionate antics, but allowed them all the same. Ronan hated that too, but knew he had no right to.

“The AC in his building is malfunctioning so I invited him to hang out, I didn’t want to leave home but if it bothers you—"

“You can invite whomever you want to, Parrish.” Ronan interrupted him, because he could, and also because he said ‘home’ and it did something strange but wonderful to Ronan’s insides.

“Aw, domesticity is so cute on you guys” Henry crooned, and Ronan gave him the finger.

Adam snorted “He’s just jealous because he’s single and practically celibate at this point”.

Ronan loved snarky Adam.

“Harsh, but true” Henry pouted, and threw himself into Ronan’s favourite armchair. Granted, Ronan was only wearing boxer-breifs, and sweaty skin against leather was not a great combination, so he’d not be occupying that chair in the near future. But still.

“I was promised booze and company” Henry reminded Adam, who just gave him the finger as he made his way towards the kitchen.

Henry was wearing slim trousers, a long-sleeved shirt and a fitted blazer. Ronan sweated a bit extra just imagining wearing so much clothing.

“So,” Henry turned to Ronan, an eyebrow raised clearly unbothered by Ronan’s unclad state, “how did you convince him to move in here?”

“I didn’t do shit. He’s just here temporary.” Ronan grumbled, turning on the tv to have something to look at that wasn’t Cheng’s perceptive brown eyes. He really didn’t want to be reminded that Adam staying wasn’t permanent.

“Adam decided it on his own? Shit, he has it so bad for you.” Henry sounded both amused and impressed.

Ronan didn’t know what to say. He wanted to tell him to fuck off, because it was just programmed in his DNA. Cheng told him something sarcastic or inappropriate and he told him to fuck off (or go to hell, or eat shit, or piss off – the list was endless but gist the same). The problem was that he hadn’t said anything sarcastic or inappropriate and Ronan didn’t know how to react in this situation.

But, when all else fails, be a shit. 

“It’s my animal magnetism.”

Henry chuckled. “Half of that is true, I’m sure.”

Thank God, Ronan thought as he muttered a “screw you, asshole”. Cheng didn’t even bat an eyelid, instead he picked up his phone and stared texting.

Adam returned a while later with a giant carafe with what looked like iced coffee and three glasses.

“Boozed iced coffee” he placed the carafe on the coffee table.

“You are a literal angel and so beautiful I could cry” Henry stated, dramatic as always, pouring himself a glass. Ronan agreed, but didn’t say so because he wasn’t a drama queen.

Adam sat down beside him, grabbing the remote from his hand and started to flip through Netflix for something to watch. Adam liked to be in control of the remote, and Ronan couldn’t care less, but it was funny enough to be catalogued in his brain as teasing material. The clear power move, the phallic implications – but funny as it was Ronan also loved Adam’s assertive personality. Like, he was painfully into it.

“Here I thought you'd be more upset with Adams fashion choices” Ronan said, as he poured himself and Adam a glass each and tried not to think about ice play when he observed the ice cubes fall into their glasses, one after another, accompanied with the milky coffee.

“Bah, like I haven't seen him like this before.” Henry just waved away Adam's mid-thigh palm leaf patterned swim trunks and yellow and white vertical striped short sleeved shirt, completely unbuttoned. "He's totally unbothered when he's at home. Remember those frog joggers Blue gave you as a joke that you wore until I accidentally spilled wine on them and then they shrank in the laundry, also accidentally?” He had turned to Adam at that.

"Accidentally my ass" Adam muttered. "I liked those pants. So comfy."

“They were hideous. Besides, he looks hot. What's your problem, Lynch?"

"He looks like a hipster. A horny hipster." A beautiful horny hipster.

Ronan’s problem was that it was June. It was hot and his body itched. He wanted to do something. Anything. Teasing seemed like an easy release of anxiety.

"Look who's talking" Adam retorted in a cool tone, clearly hinting at the horny part, Ronan thought. Teasing Adam was fun but came with consequences.

At that the doorbell rang. Ronan looked at Adam with raised eyebrows, but Adam shook his head in puzzlement. The answer came instantaneously as Henry stood up in excitement. “I invited the kids!” he exclaimed.

“You did what?” Ronan spluttered indignant. The balls on this asshole, he thought.

Adam sighed and started “Why, Henry?”

Henry just went to get the door “Relax, sourpusses, it’s only,” he opened the door and an explosion of colour was barrelling past him towards Ronan in the sofa, “Noah and the Sargents”, he finished.

“Ronan!” Noah almost squealed and hugged his friend fiercely.

Noah Czerny was a lot of things, but a believer in personal space wasn’t one of them. Even Adam permitted Noah to pet and hug without searing glares and flinches. It was so clear that Noah never had any ulterior motives, he touched because that’s how he showed compassion. And not touch as in gut punches and noogies, but sweet and thoughtful. Ronan wondered if he’d be the same if he also had only sisters as siblings.

“Jesus fuck Czerny,” Ronan grunted and pushed Noah away from him, “I’m dying of heat stroke, please don’t touch me.”

Noah just smiled and slouched back in the sofa beside Ronan. “I’ve missed you too, Lynch.” He took in the loft with a smirk “Dude, so much new stuff. The place looks great!”.

Ronan looked away from Noah’s grinning face at Henry hugging what looked like a small, walking bedsheet with a dark mop of hair. Blue Sargent. And beside her, looking like he’d travelled back in time, Gansey, sporting his 17-year-old self’s choice outfit: a salmon pink polo shirt and beige shorts and those horrible boat shoes. Luckily, he had ditched the cargo shorts and gone for a pair of plain fitted chino ones. It was the small blessings in life, Ronan thought.

“Yeah well, had I known you’d be back in town I’d invited you.” he answered Noah as he saluted Gansey and Blue, to lazy to get up and greet them.

“Last minute decision, I knew Blue was coming home from Argentina and I thought – what’s more important, filming a bit from an abandoned mall in Maryland or reunite with the gang?!”

“Hey guys” Sargent, dressed in a fucking caftan of all clothes, waved at them. The heat was clearly getting to her if she chose to wear that monstrosity. “Henry didn’t tell you we were coming?”

Adam just shrugged “I’m sure he was getting to it, but these two idiots were busy talking fashion.”

Ronan hated his boyfriend. He leaned over and flicked his earlobe in retaliation. “We were just talking about the fact that you look like Magnum, P.I.”. Adam had buttoned his shirt when the others arrived, but he still looked like a guy who brew his own beer.

“I like it, Adam. You should dress like this all the time!” Noah said earnestly. He would, Ronan thought. Noah was wearing a set of matching shorts and t-shirt in a bright abstract print and a neon yellow bucket hat to top it off. He looked ridiculous, as always. Adam just smiled and answered a fleeting “thanks, maybe”. Ronan tried not to snort too loudly. Noah was neither a stranger or a close friend, and therefor he wasn’t met with Adam Parrish’s sharp sarcastic remarks as much as Henry, Blue or Ronan.

Gansey was a whole other story, the two of them seemed to circle the same sun but sometimes their orbits took them as far as possible from each other, other times they were so close it made Ronan envious. He had walked into Adam’s apartment one day to find his best friend in the sofa, a stack of books by his side and nose in a printed article, underlining and making notes in the margin, and Adam in his usual arm chair, editing a manuscript on his laptop. They had sat like that the entire night, as Ronan had cooked and served dinner and then went to sulk on the balcony, pretending to read a book. With them it was obscure inside jokes or total misunderstanding.

“And what did you go for, Ronan,” Blue asked smirking a little, “American Gigolo?”

They all laughed at that, Ronan both loved and hated his friends in that moment “Sure, man. Though the only one that can afford me here is Gansey.”

Gansey blushed. He had always been a bit of a prude. A result of a lifetime of uptight parents, no brothers, and a self-conscious personality. His best friend was like a character out of a Victorian novel. “Could it hurt you to wear some clothes, Ronan? Now that we’re all here?”

“Yes, it fucking would, I’m fucking dying here!” He didn’t give a damn about being proper, least of all in his own home. It wasn’t like any of them hadn’t seen a dick before.

“He’s not handling this heat wave very well” Adam explained as he bestowed swift one-armed hugs with Gansey and Blue, and was, just like Ronan, embraced fondly by Noah.

That launched the group into a discussion about the city deteriorating and people going mad. Apparently, Ronan had acted in time, because only one day after his massive purchase of cooling devices, almost all places in the city had sold out on fans and portable AC:s. Ronan was only half listening to the conversation at this point. Small talk wasn’t his thing.

He wasn’t unhappy about spending time with his friends, maybe he’d stop being so god damned bored. Also, it would take his mind off sex. Off Adam, who was returning from the kitchen with a bowl of chips and a six-pack beer and looking like a wet dream, eccentric clothing be damned. He went and put on a clean pair of gym shorts, because he really didn’t trust his dick.

When he returned from the bedroom they were all settled, drinking beer and talking shit. Noah had brought his Switch which gave them enough controllers for Ronan, Noah, Henry and Blue to play Overcooked while Adam ordered food and Gansey watched.

Gansey was happiest cheering everyone on from the side lines, and Adam was not allowed to play co-op games. It was Henry who had said “sorry AP, but you are the worst team player I’ve ever encountered, and you made me cry last time we tried to play together,” and Ronan secretly agreed, although he had called Henry a whiny dipstick just to let Adam know he was on his side. Adam had just shrugged, ordered the food and slouched back in the sofa, lazily reading a magazine and every once in a while commenting on how useless they all were.

After a particularly hard level they took a break, as the food had arrived and Blue had threatened to kill Henry if he burned one more burger. The infamous frozen mimosa was served and it, in Adam’s defence, tasted amazing.

“This came from a ready-made mix?” Gansey asked, disbelieving.

Blue shoved him so he almost spilled the slushy drink over himself as he took another sip. “Stop being a snob, Gansey.”

Gansey looked a bit embarrassed as he wiped his mouth and added “Of course, apologies Adam. I didn’t want to imply—”

Adam just waved him away. “Gansey, I’m very much not offended. It’s not as good as the real thing, but I’m too exhausted to do anything from scratch.”

“The epic romance still kicking your fine little butt?” Henry asked.

“Yeah. I’m trying so hard to get in the right mood, but this book is a nightmare.” Adam admitted. This was the first Ronan had heard about this. Apparently, Cheng knew more about Adam’s work life than Ronan did. Which was fine, he guessed. “Anyway, it’s just one book. I’ll survive it, and when it’s done it’s done. New project to focus on.” Adam concluded. “Noah,” he said, clearly keen on changing the subject, “how’s the channel going?”. Noah was somewhat of a YouTube celebrity.

Noah just shrugged. “Fine, whatever. I just do what’s fun and when I get bored I’ll stop, I guess”. Ronan tried hard not to poke fun of his boyfriend by revealing how Noah’s aimlessness and complete lack of stress made Adam’s skin crawl. “I’m just stoked we’re all hanging out. I can’t believe we didn’t do this before you two idiots got together.”

“Well, Ronan lived in another state and refused to visit,” Gansey cut in, “and you and Jane are always travelling. Adam is always busy with work and Henry always has an event or something. Not the easiest circumstances for a get together. Although I’ve tried, Noah. Several times.”

“You didn’t try hard enough” Ronan shot back, just to mess with him. Gansey, the fool, had tried way to hard.

“I talked to Declan just the other day, and he has only seen you twice since you moved to the city”, Gansey countered and Ronan contemplated murder. His best friend could be as cruel as anyone with his sharp politeness. Ronan would never master those kinds of insults. And Gansey wasn’t anywhere near Helen in talent. She was a real pro.

Adam looked contemplative.

“It’s nice, hanging out, all together. Should we invite your brother?”

Ronan wanted to die. “Absolutely not. Fuck no. Never.”

The fact that his idiot brother had had the chance to date Adam before he had, had laid his disgusting nit-pick fingers on his boyfriend (although a year before they had met but still – not OK) did not sit very well with Ronan.

“He’s still weird about that?” Blue asked Adam, ignoring Ronan’s scowl.

“I don’t get how he isn’t” Ronan shot back, pointing at Adam accusatorily.

Adam shrugged. “I was, I got over it. Your brother got over it. It’s not like we had sex or anything, I’ve kissed everyone in this room, Ronan.”

Ronan almost choked on his own saliva. “What?!” he turned around and gave his best friend his most accusatory glare “Gansey?”.

Blue he knew of, Henry he had guessed. Noah, well, he was Noah. But his best friend, having kissed his boyfriend and never mentioning it to Ronan, felt like a betrayal.

Gansey shrugged “I don’t get why you look so upset, you’re not my girlfriend.”

He nodded his head at Blue who just yawned a “I don’t care who you kiss as long as they don’t have herpes, you know that” and got back to her phone, clearly uninterested in the subject at hand.

“In any case, Ronan,” Ganey continued in a placating tone that made Ronan want to empty the whole jug of mimosa over his stupid head, “it just new year’s pecks. We all do it. This year you will too.”

Ronan was suddenly very unhappy to have so many friends.

“Fuck no.”

“Fuck yes,” Henry beamed, sitting up straighter in the armchair, “and ours will have tongue.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Ronan who made retching noises. He heard Adam chuckle beside him. That traitor.

“I don’t see what you have against him, Ronan,” Gansey frowned at him “Declan’s a really a decent person. And he seems to miss you, especially now when Matthew lives so far away.”

This was why he hated having people over, Ronan thought. Nowhere to run. He stood up, stepping over legs and table to get out of the sofa group and towards the door.

“Whatever, I'm having a smoke.”

“You don't smoke!” said Gansey in an accusatory tone that made the sentence sound more like 'don't you dare smoke'. Ronan hated that tone. He was a grown ass man, not some wild animal that needs to be manhandled into submission. It was June, it was hot, and he was not in the mood. The itching feeling that had hounded him for days boiled over.

“I am in no need of a new father, Dick.” He snarled. “Save that for your kids, or go find another fucking orphan to boss around.”

He grabbed his keys and his pack of Lucky Strike and headed out the door, trough the corridor, opened the heavy door to the roof and climbed the stairs. Once outside he was accosted by the moist heat. The sun had set but it was still unbearably warm.

Still, in that moment, it wasn’t nearly as stifling as the company of his best friend. He loved Gansey. It was a lifelong, bone deep kind of love. Friendship. Where you accepted both the good and the bad. He just hated that while everyone always had been so vocal about his many flaws, Gansey's often went unchecked. Excused.

He sat down on the roof and lit a cigarette, gazing at the night sky. No stars, just a city sky – never properly dark but always filled with shadows. So unlike the sky at the Barns he sometimes believe that they are in no way connected. One sky for every place.

The truth was that he really didn’t smoke a lot, he just liked the heady rush nicotine gave him when he, on occasion, decided to smoke. A short fuck you to everything. It wasn’t healthy, not smart. It was just tobacco and tar and carbon monoxide, as deadly as life itself. A moment of stupidity, then back to trying to be a somewhat responsible adult.

He heard the door open but didn’t turn around. He guessed it was Gansey, hoped it was Adam and would settle for Noah.

“Lighter?” Henry asked, sitting down beside him.

Ronan sighed, but handed him the lighter. Henry lit what was very obviously a joint. Deep inhale, smoke held in lungs, and exhale. He repeated the action once more, then offered it to Ronan, uncharacteristically quiet.

Ronan accepted this weird bribe, taking a hit at the same time as he wondered what in the world Henry Cheng wanted from him.

The weed was strong, taste so real in contrast to the chemical flavour of the cigarette he abandoned. He took another hit and returned the joint to Cheng.

“My older brother likes Coldplay,” Henry confessed suddenly, staring out on the city in front of them, “and he refuses to accept I'm bi, he keeps calling me his 'gay little brother' as some token piece. He also hints that I'm a disappointment because I don't work for our father, although I make more money than he ever will. He's a disgusting idiot.”

Ronan mulled this over. Declan did not like Coldplay. He wasn’t sure if his older brother even enjoyed music – that would be a sign of personality, not fitting Declan’s boring ass.

Sure, Declan knew how to play the violin, because like all the brothers – like all the Lynches – he was schooled in it at an early age. He remembered the years in Ireland. Declan practicing with an intensity that made the two-year younger Ronan bored and annoyed. He didn’t see the need to practice, it was just to listen and copy. As easy as that. Looking back at it, he might see why Declan had been annoyed by him, but his brother had also been cruel. Ignoring Ronan for days, banning him from his room and commented nastily on every fault of his.

Declan probably liked jazz, the psychopath. 

“Moving here, to the city, I thought maybe we could be better … and then I meet the guy of my fucking dreams and of course he had dated Declan ...”

“I get it,” Henry took another hit “I would want to gorge out my eyes if Kevin had dated someone I liked.”

“Not his?”

Ronan’s first instinct was to punch his brother in the face. Bam, break that fucker’s nose because why did he get to do everything first and have the best opportunities, just because he was the oldest? 

Cheng snorted. “He’s such a cry-baby, would never hear the end of it. Also, I do love him, he's just utterly repugnant and a complete waste of space.”

Ronan just hummed in agreement. He knew the feeling. He also, very begrudgingly, loved his idiot older brother. He just rubbed him the wrong way. All the time.

And truthfully, the others just didn’t get it. He wished he had had a sister as well, a fourth Lynch to balance out the irregularity of being three brothers.

The sisters he had observed closely seemed to be fierce (if somewhat annoying) confidants. Helen with her intimidating smile and steady shoulder for Gansey to rest his weary head on. Noah’s younger sisters, that clearly were far more mature than Noah would ever be yet still stuck up for him in thick or thin. Sargent’s whole family was a conglomerate of sisters, he had been to her family’s house once when picking up Gansey and felt scarred for life. Still, she seemed to be so rooted in herself. Rational.

Declan was always bitter and demanding and Matthew too loving and trusting.

He knew nothing of Henry Cheng’s family, other than his father’s company and his mother’s art dealing business.

"Didn’t know you had siblings,” he said, eying Cheng, “how many?" his interest surprised both himself and Henry, to gage by the other man’s reaction.

"Just the two, Iris is three years younger than me. Hardly see her, she lives in Hong Kong."

“Huh.” Ronan answered, “you're all spread out?”

Henry sighed. “Yeah. Like butter. My family is less dinner at the table and more conference calls from different continents.”

“Huh” Ronan said, once more. Eloquent as always. 

They sat there in silence for a moment, Ronan looking up into the grey nothingness. Henry sighed and lay down on his back.

“I like your tattoo, never got to see it up close before.”

“Stop flirting with me.”

They both laughed at that. Like they would ever.

Ronan blamed the weed, but it was actually easy to talk to Cheng. He wasn’t nearly as ridiculous on a rooftop high on weed as he was normally. Although, Ronan thought, Henry was completely insane and contradictory, so the backwardness fitted him quite well.

“I’m doing my right sleeve next. Old school black and grey. My raven on the upper sleeve to start with.”

He has been thinking about this for a while now. Sketching a bit, researching tattoo artists, thinking about composition. That it would be Chainsaw was a no-brainer. She was the one who made him move to the city in the first place. He hadn’t told anyone about this, because he didn’t want to be hospitalized. He could just picture people’s faces as he explains how his raven finding a mate made him realize his life had become stagnant and unfulfilling.

“See, I envy your commitment. I can’t even stick to a cell phone for more than a month.” Henry said. “Did you see Blue’s caftan?” he continued, mischief in his voice.

Ronan sniggered, the weed making itself noticeable, “she looked like a cult leader” he answered immediately.

Henry giggled. “She looked like,” he snorted a laugh, “a walking, tied-dye pillowcase. The missing member of the The Mamas and the Papas”.

This was not funny, objectively this is not funny. But Ronan barked out a laugh.

Henry passed him the joint once more and he inhaled deeply. "Shit Cheng, this is some good weed."

“Only the best. This is what famous people smoke, Lynch” he grinned cheekily at him as he sat up once more. Henry was a publicist to some ridiculous famous people. Adam had told Ronan that Henry's stories about his clients could cheer him up any day.

“You’re part of the fucking illuminati aren't you?” He passed the joint back.

Henry snorted. “Please, most famous people are idiots. There's no way they can pull of a secret society. They are too obsessed worrying about eating carbs and aging.” He sighed and sat up. “Not that I can blame them. I'm having an existential crisis about being closer to thirty than twenty. I still feel like I'm sixteen.”

Ronan thought back to when he was sixteen, but there were two distinct different versions of him from back then. Before and after. One Ronan, wild and carefree. The other feral and broken. “Ten years ago, I believed I'd be a complete person at this age. Or dead, I guess.”

This conversation felt just like the different skies. Only here, only like this.

“Tell me about it, Henry sighed and passed the last hit to Ronan who inhaled and then stubbed out the joint.

“Adam is so far ahead of me.” Ronan confessed in a quiet voice. He regretted it as soon as it was out of his mouth. Damn weed.

Henry turned his whole body to look at him, crooked eyebrows raised in amusement. “You two are so into each other it's disgusting.”

Ronan snorted. He knew that, that wasn't really the issue. He wasn't good enough for Adam. He wanted the world for him, but doubted he'd be able to give it to him. And even if he could, someday, it wasn’t soon enough. Adam always had to wait for Ronan to get better. Be more whole.

Henry just smiled knowingly. “Adam might be far ahead in some aspects, but believe me – so are you. So is anyone. You just can't see it because your blinded by looove.”

Ronan shoved him and Henry sniggered.

“Listen, Lynch. You're fairly new to Adam, but I'm not. And I have never seen him like this with anyone, not even me and Blue. Not even when he thinks no one’s watching.”

“Like what?”

“Silly and happy. Calm.”

Ronan stood up at that, his heart expanding in his chest with an alarming speed. He needed to move, or he'd combust on the spot. The heat inside him warring with the unnatural warm night. “Let's go down and end Gansey's misery.”

Henry stood up as well, brushing off his expensive looking trousers. “That idiot just wants everyone to be happy. Like that's even remotely possible.”

Ronan shrugged “I keep telling him to get a golden retriever, humans are too destructive for his poor heart.”

*

When they returned to the apartment the others had progressed from food to ice cream. What looked like all the considerate amount of ice cream containers that lived in Ronan's freezer were crowded on the coffee table, spoons sticking out of every one and his friends eating gluttonously of his treasure trove.

Adam looked up, as they entered, and raised his eyebrows in a silent question. Ronan mimed smoking a joint and Adam gave him a crooked smile and offered him a spoonful of ice cream as he settled beside him in the sofa. Ronan batted it away and started scooping up some of his own in an empty bowl. Like he wanted Adam's weird ice cream choices, the mad fucker liked rum raisin.

Gansey caught his eye, looking both concerned and remorseful. Ronan just shook his head at him, smirking a little. A clear message: No sweat. Chill. His friend exhaled, looking relieved.

"I like this buzz I have going on" Noah said thoughtfully, sucking at his spoon, "what booze goes best with ice cream?"

"Vodka" Blue and Henry exclaimed in one voice and then laughed. "Maine" they said, once again in unison. Then laughed some more.

"They spent a weekend in Maine a few years ago, just the two of them. It's apparently all classified, but they just have to bring it up once in a while" Adam whispered in his ear, and Ronan shivered in pleasure from Adam's cold lips brushing his ear. "It's obnoxious and we all hate it."

Ronan doubted that. Gansey was smiling indulgently at his friends and Noah just said "sweet" and left for the freezer, where he knew to find vodka. Ronan turned his head and nosed the hair above Adams ear, his hearing ear was always closest to him, because Ronan made it so.

"Looks more like it's only you who hates it, Curious George." Adam answering frown at that let Ronan know that this was another mundane reference Adam, despite his vast knowledge, did not get. He casually rubbed his thumb against his frown line and made a mental note to pick up his favourite children's book next time he visited the Barns. One of his guilty pleasures was to read Adam to sleep whenever he was stressed out.

Noah returned with vodka and soon enough the ice cream party deteriorated into a boozy milkshake factory, Ronan fetching the blender and Henry started casting music videos to the TV.

After a while Blue scooted closer to Ronan, elbowing him in the side while slurping a spiked chunky monkey milkshake. Where Noah found straws in his kitchen is a fucking mystery. Or he brought them, which wouldn't surprise Ronan in the slightest.

"You and my ex, huh?"

This is not news, but Blue had been out of the country for almost four months and hadn’t seen them in live action.

"You had your chance, Sargent. The boy is mine."

Adam looked over from a conversation with Gansey and rolled his eyes at him. How someone could do that and still look so hot, Ronan could not fathom. Adam pulled it off, somehow.

"Like you haven't had a crush on my current", she replied in her amused no-nonsense tone Ronan has come to appreciate when not directed to himself.

Ronan snorted in derision but wondered how she knew. It had just been those first few weeks when Gansey was a handsome teenage stranger and not his nerdy loyal friend.

She just smirked at him. "Sure, bro." she elbowed him again. "You two make sense though. Should have played matchmaker or something."

"Like I would trust you to set me up with anyone, Sargent."

She was about to protest but was distracted by Henry making some god-awful dance moves while sipping on his shake.

"The fuck?" Ronan commented. Henry had shrugged off his blazer but was still wearing a considerate amount of clothing. Ronan would rather die than wear clothes or dance right now. He couldn't compute that this was the same person who he talked to on the roof.

“What's with the modern contemporary?" Gansey asked, amused.

"I'm happy and feeling like it's time for Wuthering Heights."

Gansey perked up at that, the absolute nerd. Ronan did not feel like watching a period piece, but Henry just put on another music video, and Adam chuckled.

"What’s happening?" Ronan asked him.

"Kate Bush" Adam answered, nodding to the TV. "Henry is obsessed with old music videos. And eighties pop songstresses. Though I think this is late seventies. And here comes the dancing". The lady with the impressive high pitch voice in the music video started dancing in a misty field and Henry copied her moves exactly. It would be impressive if it hadn’t looked completely insane. Henry was both high and drunk but still pirouetted gracefully. Ronan winced as Henry’s outstretched foot was just inches from the TV.

"This is amazing", Noah exclaimed. "Why haven't I've seen this before? I need to recreate this video exactly for my channel. Red dress and all."

Henry stumbled at that "No you can't. It's mine. You can have another quirky video. Let me show you."

Henry sat down in the armchair once more and queued a couple of videos on YouTube. "You are all in for a treat!" he beamed.

Adam started cleaning up the mess on the coffee table, with distinctly unstable steps. "Add my hate song, Henry" he called over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen. Ronan was debating following him, sneaking in a bit of making out in the half-hidden kitchen area, when the next song started playing, and David Hasselhoff was soaring in the sky dressed in furs.

"Jesus fuck" he blurted out and they all started laughing at the ridiculousness that unfolded on the tv screen.

That video is followed by Total Eclipse of the Heart, which Ronan had heard before, but he wasn’t at all prepared for the dancing ninjas, flying choir boys, half naked dancers and eye lasers. Ronan found himself giggling hysterically at it all, snaking an arm around Adam when he returned to the sofa, not caring about his body heat.

They watched Prince in a bathtub, and everyone but Adam was surprised by Ronan saying that “Prince can get it” but really, who in this world doesn’t think that? Adam admitted on having the biggest crush on Björk while they watched her eating a watermelon in a very erotic way, and then Adam’s “hate song” played. The music video was not the worst they had seen that night, but the song sure was.

“’I don't want to see a ghost, I'd rather have a piece of toast’? What the fucking hell is this?” Ronan could hardly breath for laugher. They are all a laughing drunk mess in his huge, expensive sofa.

Blue is wiping tears “You should have seen Adam after Henry played it to him the first time. He was furious. Wanted answers. Started analysing the song to find hidden meanings.”

“This was freshman year,” Adam explained, shaking his head, “that song took me over the edge, I’m certain of it. Whatever my therapist says otherwise.”

“You’ve seen all these videos?” Ronan asked Adam as a song called Blue was playing, badly animated aliens dancing and fighting with dudes in coveralls. Henry had introduced it as the song he had been thrown out of a karaoke bar for singing. Predictably, Blue detested the song and had, in protest and need, stumbled to the toilet to get out of earshot.

“Of course I have, I’ve been friends with Henry since I was nineteen.” Adam smiled lazily at him.

“Ah you should have met him, Lynch. So young and beautiful. So angry and hostile. So very uncultured.” Henry exclaimed, opening a bottle of white wine and pouring himself a generous glass. Was that his or had Cheng brought that? Had someone else? Ronan did not know or care at this point.

“I wasn't uncultured you ass, I just hadn't had the time for pop culture.” Adam defended himself. Ronan could only imagine nineteen-year-old Adam Parrish. Proud and stubborn, probably malnourished, smart as fuck and prepared to take over the world, but woefully uneducated in enjoyment. He would have hated nineteen-year-old Ronan, that’s for sure.

“That's what I said.” Henry nodded his head in agreement. “Do you think Mr Virginia mechanic would love Pet Shop Boys and Prince if it wasn't for his beautiful bisexual bestie?” He asked Ronan.

Adam snorted, still sarcastic even when drunk. “Yes, you were the definition of tasteful Henry. Remember that rainbow blazer and touch the skies-haircut?”

Henry shuddered in apparent horror. “Don't mention the war, Adam.”

“Oh, but there is plenty of photographic evi—” Adam reached for his phone but before he had time to flicker through his photo album Henry shrieked and jumped him, almost spilling his newly poured glass. He was on top of Adam in a heartbeat, an impressive move of agility and strength, trying to grab the phone from Adam’s outstretched arm. Adam was winded by laughter but managed to get out a promise to stop if Henry got off him. They almost looked like brothers as they squabbled. A few hours ago it might have made Ronan ridiculously jealous, but now it was just fifty percent envious, the other fifty happy for his boyfriend who’s childhood had been so shit he’d only been able to whisper a few, stuttered sentences about it in the dead of night.

“You told me you’d delete those pictures!” Henry said with upset in his voice as he sat up and straightens his clothes.

Adam grinned like a maniac. “And get rid of such valuable blackmail material? Never!”

“You should be nicer to me, Adam Parrish. I know too many of your dirty secrets.” Henry sniffed.

Adam parried this threat by putting on a Madonna video, like the evil mastermind he was. Henry was sufficiently distracted trying to defend its suckage. 

There was more drinking after that, because why the hell not. Blue braided everyone’s hair, except for Ronan for whom she just unclipped a tiny hairclip and fastened it in his chest hair. He refrained from throwing it in her face because he really appreciated how fucking cute Adam looked in small braids on one side of his head, the rest of his wonderful hair almost curling in the moist heat.

There was drunk dancing to several pop songs, even Adam danced when Henry played one of his favourite Pet Shop Boys songs, and it was a joy to watch. Ronan had been banned from playing EDM so he put on some old school Rage Against the Machine that prompted not so much dancing as jumping and shouting. Blue, who was new to the band, took to them like a duck to water, and declared that Ronan could "get it if he was a girl" and Noah and Henry guffawed and between laughs and gasps of air told her that "that girl would be you, Blue", to which Blue and Ronan in unison told them to eat shit, not helping the case whatsoever.

Noah dragged Henry and Ronan up to the roof to smoke another joint, and they lay on their backs naming airplanes instead of stars.

"Are you happy, Ronan" Noah asked suddenly, after Ronan had named a particularly bright light ‘Lazor Pigeon 3000’.

"No idea" Ronan answered truthfully. He didn’t like to lie but could deflect if he needed to. But this was a night for real truths, he thought.

"When is one happy? " Henry contemplated out loud. "I mean, the people with perfect lives must be rarities, no? So, while you’re happy about having a good job, amazing hair and the best friends there are, you are also miserable because shit that happened in your childhood, people being asshole in general and your unwanted singledom. I mean, as a random example”, he added weakly. Noah reached out a hand and patted in Henry's general direction "Ow, that's my nose, Noah". Ronan's couldn’t help but laugh. His laughter infected the others because weed did that. They all lost track of their conversation for a while.

After the laugher had subsided Ronan answered the question more truthfully. "I guess I'm a lot of things, and happy is one of them. Like right now, yes. Adam makes me happy. Sometimes when I create or see good art. When Matthew calls and tells me all the stupid stuff he gets up to. I'm also severely fucked up and in three types of therapy at the same time, so there's that."

"Bah, details!" Noah said, and Ronan elbowed him in a friendly manner.

When they returned to the apartment Blue was snoring in the sofa and Adam and Gansey were discussing philosophy, something Ronan avoided doing at all cost, sober or not. He slouched down in the sofa beside his best friend, nursing a cold can of coke and eating some chips. Henry called for a cab and started to clean up and Adam rose to help him. Noah snuck away, and Ronan suspected he'd claimed the guest bed in the study for his own tonight. He really was a sneaky fuck.

Gansey scooted closer to him, resting his head on Ronan’s shoulder. Ronan felt generous and didn't shrug him off, instead he patted him on his head with his free hand.

"I'm sorry I'm like that sometimes" Gansey said in a low voice.

"You have to specify the hell out of that that, Dickweed. You are a complicated individual."

"Parenting you. I don't mean to. I'm just worried—"

"All that worrying gonna’ make you grey, old man. I'm a big boy, know how to tie my own shoelaces."

"I know. It’s a bad habit. I just—"Gansey sighed, and sat up, looking at him with a serious expression. His glasses were askew and cheeks rosy. Drunk Gansey was a sight for sore eyes. "It feels like you have been avoiding me since you moved here. Like you have no need of me.”

Suddenly, Ronan wanted to hug him close and tell his stupid friend how much he loved him. Instead he slung and arm around him.

“You know I love you, you fool. No homo though.” Boundaries were good.

Adam snorted as he walked past him and he grabbed his arm and pulled him down into his lap, snaking his arms around him and holding him tight, nose in his wonderful mop of hair.

“You, I love big homo. Like the most homo there is. Like I love your dick and your ass and your beautiful little freckles on—“.

Henry had returned to the sofa and chucked at the sight.

“Okay sweetheart,” Adam untangled himself and sat down beside him, blushing but looking happy all the same "I’m quite biased towards you too."

Even drunk and high as he was, he got the joke. Adam was so quick. “He’s so smart, my guy. Makes books, takes cocks. I’m going to marry this fucking genius.”

Henry burst out laughing, and Adam got up and started tugging at his arm.

“Jesus Christ Ronan”, Gansey moaned. “I did not need to know that.”

“No, you did not. Jesus, Lynch, that didn’t even rhyme. Time for bed, I think. Night guys.” Adam said, dragging him along. Ronan had no problem with that, the heat wasn’t as unbearable as it had been earlier tonight so he might get to spoon Adam for a little while. And wake up beside him. And enjoy a hungover Saturday together. He didn’t know if the others were staying or not, and frankly he didn’t care. They were sort of welcome in his home, as long as they didn’t bother him too much.

They stumbled into bed, undressing unsteadily, and throwing themselves in the bed, Ronan passing out as soon as his head touched the pillow.

He awoke what felt like moments later. He had no idea if it had gone two minutes or hours, but his useless insomniac mind had fought both the alcohol, weed and his usual lack of sleep and woken him up for no reason but to torture him. He grabbed for his water bottle and downed it in its entirety. As he untangled from his sheet, flipped the pillow and tried to find a more comfortable position, the last hours came in to focus. He should be panicking. He should be riddled with anxiety, because he had hinted at marriage only four months into knowing Adam. Because it was June, a month of disasters and grief. In less than two weeks was the annerversery of his parents' death. A decade as an orphan.

But right now he didn’t have it in him to worry. His head was comfortably numb, and his beautiful boyfriend was beside him.

It was a problem for next week. Hopefully, it would be a cooler one.

**Author's Note:**

> Songs/videos mentioned in this piece:  
> Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights  
> David Hasselhoff - Hooked on a Feeling  
> Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart  
> Prince & The Revolution - When Doves Cry  
> Björk - Possibly Maybe  
> Des'ree - Life  
> Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)  
> Madonna - Dear Jessie
> 
> If you have any questions or thoughts on this fic, or prompts for another, come talk to me on [tumbr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/luluandthemoon).  
> 


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